The Cross Cultural & International Special Interest Group (CCISIG) is a part of the Section on Health Policy & Administration of the American Physical Therapy Association. Subscribers are members interested in issues related to cultural competence and the delivery of physical therapy services in cross-cultural or international settings.

The Cross-Cultural & International Physical Therapy Interest Group (CCIIG) was created in 1985 by therapists involved in cross-cultural and international issues, in response to an expressed need to network and share resources.

CCISIG’s objectives are the following:
• Provide a forum for educational presentations on rehabilitation principles and programs existing in areas of the world outside mainstream U.S.A.

• Gather, share, and maintain a repository of information on physical therapy opportunities abroad, such as paid and volunteer positions, student clinical affiliation sites, and names of colleagues with professional knowledge and/or experience in other countries and cultures.

•Serve as a liaison to other private voluntary organizations (PVOs) concerned with cross-cultural and international issues of medical and sociological import. Educate PVOs in the roles of physical therapists both in primary care and in extended, holistic rehabilitation in all parts of the world.

• Contribute to the body of knowledge being developed and validated through research, on the principles and practice of cross-cultural competence, “community-based rehabilitation” (CBR), and other relevant studies and emerging models of alternative practice.

• Share information from the social sciences and other health professions that relate to physical therapy interests. Related fields include health education, medical